The Truth About Full Time Jobs

In college, you can turn in assignments late! If you’re late to work, you get fired.

You can skip class with relatively little consequences! If you skip work, you get fired.

In college, a lot of stuff is paid for, somehow. If you get free lunch at work, you get fired for stealing BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS TO THIEVES.

Here’s the truth about full time jobs.

1. You spend a lot of time thinking about work

When I wake up for work, I’m usually already thinking whether or not I have enough time for breakfast before work. (Ok, I’m kidding. I never have breakfast anymore). I’m thinking about work on the way to work. I work all day. When I clock out, I assess what activities I might do that night based on:

How long it’ll take me to get home so I can get some sleep, and

What time I’m getting back so I can get to bed.

2. It’s really difficult to separate work from your personal life

You’re always thinking about work. It’s a rare case when you find someone who can totally drop the frustrations of a typical Tuesday when they get home. It’s not cut and dry. It’s messy.

You also spend a lot of time with coworkers. Pretty soon, you’re all buddy-buddy with that 30-something year old guy and you hang out every break. When’s the last time you made a friend that was within a 3 year age difference than you outside of work?

Never, that’s when.

3. You’ll probably be leaving your full time job for another one, soon

Gone are those terrible days when you worked for Ford for like, 35 years and got a “pension” or whatever. Now, we millennials switch jobs all DAY. Well, we try to.

You’re not going to like your work after a while. On my job hunt, I got this editing/marketing job one time. Paid well, sweet gig. But on my SECOND day, after I discovered what my day-to-day was, I had the biggest buyer-remorse-stomach-ache I’ve ever had. THIS is what my life is? Barf in my face and where’s my paycheck already.

That’s fine. There are plenty of full time jobs that are willing to take on college grads like you. Don’t worry if you hate it, just don’t stay there too long.

Yes, work is difficult, but the alternative, not working, leaves me bored and unproductive. At my facilities, I try to keep in mind that everyone’s job is tough, helps me to be more compassionate when dealing with my coworkers.